Association Between Childhood Traumatic Stress and Behavior in the Pediatric Dental Clinic

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between a history of potentially traumatic events (PTE) and a child's behavior during dental treatment.

Parents of healthy children, age four years and older and attending their initial dental appointment at a university pediatric dental clinic, were asked to complete the Traumatic Events Screening Inventory-Parent Report Revised and a demographic survey. Following the dental appointment, a pediatric dental resident reported the child's behavior using the Frankl scale.

A total of 170 parent-child pairs participated; 53 percent of parents indicated their child had experienced at least one PTE; 44 percent reported their child had a prior negative experience at the dentist. Adjusted multivariable logistic regression analysis showed no significant association between PTE history and poor dental behavior (P=0.994), but a significant association was observed between a previous negative dental experience and poor dental behavior (P=0.000) as well as between age (younger than five years old) and poor behavior (P=0.006).

Children with a history of potentially traumatic events did not exhibit uncooperative behavior more often than those who did not. A previous negative dental experience and the child's young age were significantly associated with uncooperative behavior.